Diwali is the biggest festival season of the year for most Indian businesses, and in 2026 it arrives in early November. The festival week runs from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj, with Chhath Puja following a few days later. That is a lot of festival days close together, and every one of them is a chance to appear on your customers' phones with a greeting, an offer or your timings.
Here is a simple calendar you can follow. Festival dates can vary by a day depending on the panchang your area follows, so confirm them locally.
The key dates for 2026
- Friday, 6 November: Dhanteras
- Saturday, 7 November: Choti Diwali (Narak Chaturdashi)
- Sunday, 8 November: Diwali (Lakshmi Puja)
- Tuesday, 10 November: Govardhan Puja
- Wednesday, 11 November: Bhai Dooj
- Sunday, 15 November: Chhath Puja
In Punjab, Diwali is also celebrated as Bandi Chhor Divas by the Sikh community, so a greeting that respects both is a thoughtful touch for local businesses here.
The week before: build up
- Start of November: "Diwali orders now open" or "Book your festive appointment".
- Three or four days before Dhanteras: your festival timings, so customers can plan.
- Two days before: a gifting idea or festive look, using your own products or work.
Day by day
- Dhanteras: a greeting with a theme of prosperity and new beginnings. Shops selling utensils, jewellery, electronics and vehicles can show their festive range.
- Choti Diwali: a light, cheerful greeting, or a last-minute reminder about timings and pre-orders.
- Diwali: your main greeting of the year. Keep it warm and simple, with your best design and your branding.
- Govardhan Puja: a short, respectful greeting. Sweet shops and restaurants can mention annakut offerings if relevant.
- Bhai Dooj: a greeting on the theme of brothers and sisters. Gift shops, sweet shops and salons can mention gifting and last-minute bookings.
- Chhath Puja: a respectful greeting, especially relevant if you have customers from Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Business-specific ideas
- Clinics and dentists: a reminder to go easy on sweets, and a note on staying safe around firecrackers and smoke. Add your holiday timings and an emergency contact if you have one.
- Salons: festive packages and booking reminders in the week before.
- Gyms: a "festive balance" post about staying active through the celebrations.
- Restaurants and sweet shops: gift box pre-orders, delivery timings, family dinner bookings.
- Coaching centres: a "fresh start" message and the date classes resume.
- Real estate: Dhanteras and Diwali are traditionally seen as good times for new purchases, so a factual project or site-visit message fits.
- Astrologers: Lakshmi Puja and Dhanteras muhurat for your city, checked carefully against a reliable panchang.
After the festival
Don't stop posting the day after Bhai Dooj. A thank-you banner ("Thank you for making our Diwali special") lands well, and it keeps your business visible while competitors go quiet.
Design reminders
- One message per banner.
- Your logo, name and number in the same spot every day.
- Square for feeds, tall for WhatsApp Status and Stories.
- Original or licensed graphics only.
- Encourage safe, eco-friendly celebrations rather than showing heavy fireworks.
Have every festival covered
Our daily banner design service sends a ready-to-post banner every morning, with Dhanteras, Diwali, Bhai Dooj, Chhath and every other festival covered automatically in your branding. Plans start at ₹499 a month. Message us on WhatsApp before the festive week to get started.